GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 25 (UPI) — More than 90 percent of workers in India, Mexico, Poland and Portugal say it is their employer’s job to create a healthy environment at work, researchers say.

The survey — commissioned by the World Heart Federation and conducted by Opinion Health — says 32 percent of employees say their workplace hinders their ability to lead a healthy life.

Dr. Kathryn Taubert, senior science officer at the World Heart Federation, says approximately 17.1 million lives are claimed each year globally by the burden of cardiovascular disease, even though most heart disease and stroke is preventable.

“As many of us spend over half of our waking hours at work, the workplace is the ideal setting to encourage behavior changes to minimize a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease,” Taubert says in a statement.

The World Heart Federation and World Economic Forum are encouraging employers and employees to promote a heart-healthy workplace by adopting programs such as gym memberships, cycle to work programs or smoking-cessation programs.

Eleven percent of workers say they do not agree that their employer supports a healthy workplace and 80 percent rate health insurance as important or very important when choosing an employer.

Total sample size was 4,000 men and women working in Poland, Mexico, India and Portugal completed in July-August. No further survey details were provided.